Aberdeen Olympian Zoey Clark stole the show at the Scottish Indoor Championships with her record-breaking performance in the 200m.
But there were also some outstanding performances from a number of other north-east athletes who returned from Glasgow with a healthy bundle of medals.
Aside from her 200m victory in 23.39secs, Clark also won the 60m in 7.50secs. It’s the second time she has won this sprint double, having also achieved the feat in 2015.
Her medal tally from seven visits to the championships over the past 11 years is now four 60m golds, two bronze and one silver. In the 200m, it’s three gold and three silver.
Clark’s training partner Rebecca Matheson also enjoyed a successful day at the Emirates Arena, picking up bronze medals in both sprints.
Another Aberdeen athlete, Jane Davidson, won the 60m hurdles for the second time in three years, dipping for the line to take gold in 8.80 ahead of Erin Campbell (Giffnock North, 8.82) and Holly McArthur (Edinburgh AC, 8.91).
Catriona Pennet (Aberdeen AAC), who has picked up six silver and five bronze since 2004, just missed adding to her collection when finishing fourth, 9.00.
Banchory Stonehaven AC’s Claire McGarvey took silver, 1.74, behind Ireland international Sommer Lecky, 1.79, in the women’s high jump.
There was a north-east medal deluge in the under-17 age group championships held at the same venue.
The boys’ 800m produced a thrilling finish with Aberdeen AAC’s Rhys Crawford and Aleksandar Jovcic battling neck and neck for the title.
Crawford eventually edged it by 0.15secs in 1:59.28. Both narrowly achieved personal best times.
Aberdeen AAC’s Hannah Taylor won the girls’ 800m in another close race in which just over one second separated the three medallists.
Taylor took gold in 2:16.62 with Pitreavie’s Erin Macfarlane second in 2:17.99. Another Aberdeen club member, Grace MacDonald, clinched bronze in 2:17.99
Aberdeen’s Rosie Meyer smashed her previous best when clearing 2.64 m to win the pole vault.
And Banchory Stonehaven AC’s Ellen Macleod also hit new heights when winning the high jump with 1.54m, a significant improvement on her previous best of 1.48 set outdoors last September.
Aberdeen AAC’s Jake Dickie came agonisingly close to a medal in the shot put when throwing a personal best 11.01m. But the final position on the podium went to Pitreavie’s Adom Akuoko who threw 11.02.
Chalmers boosts Commonwealth Games hopes
Sean Chalmers boosted his Commonwealth Games ambitions by producing a red hot performance in the Farnborough half marathon.
The Aberdeen PE teacher was involved in a three-way battle for top spot with England international Andrew Heyes (Hallamshire) and fellow Scot Jonny Glen (Inverclyde AC).
And despite having to settle for second position Chalmers was rewarded with a personal best time of 1hr 4min 22secs when finishing five secs behind Heyes. Glen was third in 1:04:23.
Chalmers’ previous best of 1:05:16 was set at the Antrim coast race in 2020.
Now he’s planning to shoot for the Commonwealth marathon qualifying standard of 2:15:12 when making his debut over the distance in Seville next month.
He said: “I’m happy with the half marathon time. The early pace was a bit too fast for me so I eased off a bit and let some of them go ahead.
“I gradually worked my way back into it and by eight miles I caught up with Jonny but the English guy was still around 200m ahead.
“Jonny stayed with me and we worked together, eventually catching Heyes after 10 miles.
“We were all together until the final 800m but Heyes had too much of a kick and got away.”
Chalmers is happy with the way his marathon preparations are going and is looking forward to giving his all in Spain on February 20.
He said: “It has gone well and I’ve another four weeks of preparation to go, so hopefully all will be fine.
“Getting the qualifying standard is a bit of a long shot but I’m going to give it a go. If I blow up with three or four moles to go and end up with a time of 2:24, then so be it.
“I’d rather do that than play it safe by going at a 2:18 pace which I feel more than capable of doing.”
